For years now I've been able to laugh off my grandparents, FOX News and brainwashed Republicans in general.
But my roommate's interaction with her parents changed things for me.
Her parents told her that they were scared. They were scared because something serious was underway in America, that a revolution was happening that threatened to destroy the entire country and that it was serious. They told her that Marxists were on the brink of pulling Biden to the Left, and that they were legitimately danger.
I usually laugh this off, but something struck me: they weren't angry, or grumpy, or bone-headed, like I usually imagine Republicans. They were legitimately afraid, and perceived themselves to truly be descending into a national emergency, one that FOX News has completely manufactured.
I used to laugh off people that said FOX is paving the way to Fascism, or Drumpf = Hitler. But I've come to comprehend that fear, not anger, was the driving motivator in Nazi Germany, and now understand that FOX is pumping sheer terror into the American public at levels only possible in modern society.
I don't really think FOX is a laughing matter anymore, because I begin to understand how an American public this afraid could condone Nazi Germany level atrocities under the impression that they were saving themselves.
tbh i think it's really sad there is such a HUGE outlet for disinformation/misinformation in our society :/
a lot of these people hold ideological beliefs which serve little or no benefit towards them (eg. american conservatism) -- the only reason why they hold those beliefs is because they've been indoctrinated throughout their life with american propaganda.
conservatism doesn't help the working class. it only benefits the rich. are these trump supporters/fox news watchers rich? no. why would they believe it then, other than the reason of disinformation/propaganda? i'm pretty interested in this idea right here
They have been indoctrinated with anti communist red scare propaganda their whole lifes.
Because these anti communist beliefs are so internalized they just instinctively out of hand reject anything that can be associated with socialism/communism.
That obviously is not the only reason, but I believe it’s quite essential to this phenomenon.
Inundated with American propaganda in general. From being forced into pledging fealty to the American flag every day to constant assertions in the news, media, and daily life that America is the greatest nation on earth and that the ideals and beliefs of the American revolutionary clique and subsequent ruling classes are absolutely correct and unquestionable.
Combine that with red scare mentality, cathartic 24/7 anger content, and casting enemies of the Republicans as being against America, and you've got a powerful media weapon.